Monday, March 25, 2013

Measure Given, Measure Received (part 2)

The fact that there
are both Jews and Gentiles in Jesus’ audience, based on geographic references,
is an important point and must be taken into consideration as His words are
examined. Not only are there Gentiles present, but sight of the fact that
Jesus is speaking (and his hearers are hearing, and Luke is writing) in
Roman-controlled territory must never be lost. It is Rome that is in
power here. Israel is subject to
Rome. The neighbors of Israel and any
roaming Gentiles in Jesus’ audience are subject to Rome. Luke himself is subject to Rome. The individual to whom Luke purportedly
writes (Theophilus) is quite possibly a high-ranking Roman government official,
himself subject to Rome/Caesar.

If Theophilus is part
of a community of Jesus followers (those that confess that it is Jesus that is
the true Savior of mankind, rather than the Caesar), then that community is
also subject to Rome. This is an altogether
important consideration. Those that read
the Gospels must attempt to situate themselves alongside those that are in this
situation of subjection, while also hearing Jesus according to the narrative
that Luke has constructed for the hearing of these words, and the story of
Israel (the covenant people).

Consequently, for
quite some time and up to that day, there was a strong under-current of
revolutionary fervor against the Roman oppressors. Naturally, this would have been widespread,
but owing to Israel’s self-understanding that they were the unique covenant
people of the Creator God, and their expectation that their God was going to
act on their behalf, Israel’s fervor for revolution of some kind seems to have
been almost always near the boiling point. The Creator God’s people (Israel/Judah)
wanted to escape from Rome’s oppression, and Rome was their enemy.
Holding that fact in mind as an attempt to examine the text is undertaken,
allows more and more adding of a tremendously important historical realism to
the situation, and makes the reader open and aware of the strong probability
that there are most likely Roman soldiers present and within ear-shot of
Jesus.

Why would such be the
case? Well, it’s not difficult to image this being the case, as to this
point in the narrative as presented by Luke, Jesus has invoked near-riots in
Nazareth, has attracted crowds in Capernaum, has begun calling together a
close-knit and hand-picked group of chosen followers, has managed to convince a
tax collector to leave his work and follow Him, and He was regularly drawing
attention from the religious leaders. All of these things, taken
together, could very well be viewed by the Romans as the beginnings of yet
another messianic/revolutionary movement that was designed to come against
their rule by force of arms.

Thusly, it is quite
reasonable to presume that the Roman authorities, working in conjunction with
their client authority figures in Israel who would be dramatically, and from
their viewpoint, negatively affected by any type of revolution, would have
heard reports about this Jesus fellow.
It is reasonable to suggest that they would have had their collective
eye on Him at some level. By this time in their imperial expansion, the
Romans would have had plenty of experience in identifying and dealing with
those that opposed them, especially in Palestine, and would certainly be
keeping a watchful eye on situations that might quickly escalate (again, in
concert with those that they placed in power). Large gatherings of a
diverse group of people around a charismatic and dynamic individual could
certainly be one of those situations. So as not to give Rome a reason to
move against Him, one can imagine that Jesus takes all of this into
consideration and is going to be measuring His words quite carefully.